Sea turtle are an endangered species around the world, mostly because of trash in the ocean. There is more to their endangerment than just trash though as poachers contribute to their declining population.
The Poacher
When a female Olive Ridley Sea Turtle washed ashore, she was suddenly taken away from her natural habitat. A poacher had picked her up and she was struggling.
In Nicaragua, this is a common occurrence. Many poachers invade this species land and take them hostage. Even though they are a protected species. Olive Ridley Sea Turtles are a target and so are their eggs. La Flor Beach Natural Reserve in Nicaragua continues to have poaching issues due to the female sea turtles laying eggs.
“Countless sea turtle eggs are stolen from Nicaraguan beaches each year to be sold as food; in this case, the mother turtle may have been stolen in hopes that she would lay her eggs in captivity, or to be killed for meat.”
The Turtle is Taken
A video of a poacher taking a sea turtle off the beach was extremely upsetting and alarming. In the video you can see the man placing the turtle above his head; This was not an easy task due to the fact that sea turtles usually weigh 50 to a 100 pounds.
Although there were many people around, no one stopped the man with the sea turtle. A person took a video but did not step in to save the turtle.
The communications coordinator for Sea Turtle Conservancy, Lexie Beach, commented to the Dodo,
“Unfortunately it is not uncommon, especially in places like Central and Latin America. They are usually sold to bars or restaurants and eaten raw, or the raw egg is actually put into a beer. In some countries, sea turtle eggs are prized as an aphrodisiac.”
Sea turtles need our help. Between the trash, in the ocean, poachers, and pollution the species cannot bear anymore.
Share with friends to help the sea turtles.
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